Month: June, 2011

Bleached messy blonde hair, almost covering his pale green eyes the color of the Caribbean sea. He wears a pale green T-Shirt with the numbers 360 on it, under a faded olive-green sweatshirt with the sleeves pushed up, accompanied by worn down Levi jeans, blue rinse, covered in patches where holes were sown up. So basically, his look at first glance is a teenage hobo. Aside from his clothing, his personality is likable. He has a knack for trouble, is bold, determined, brave – but not strong. He’s rather skinny, but not as thin as Charlie. He fights with a letter opener , which is about 6 inches long and made of sterling silver. However, his weapon is also used to shove peanut-butter down his throat 24-7, and still not quite satisfying his fetish for the creamy snack.

Jade (Ruby) – Female; 16

Her brown hair the color of milk chocolate stop slightly below her shoulders, which stops slightly below her shoulders, is gathered together and draped in front of her right should. Her long bangs fall to the right, framing her fragile, pale diamond face and pursed lips, along with her hazel eyes that hide behind her foggy glasses. She is the smart one in the bunch, and is very talented with using her surroundings to her advantage in all situations. She yields no particular weapon, because she never received much training in the subject of battle-field skills or combat. She prefers to “defend” (beet mercilessly) herself with random household objects if threatened. She is specifically dangerous when armed with a lamp, stapler, chair or kitchen tongs.She has mad poker skills, dances in the rain, and is the original owner of the peach-tree.

Charlie – Male; 15

Charlie is tall and skinny with sky blue eyes and jet black hair, that is just a smidge shorter than Macs’. His clothing attire mostly consists of darker colors, preferably black and red. He’s never been caught without his yellow bandana, which belonged to his frail sister who died of sickness during the earlier, more violent war. He specializes in mechanics and firearms, given how his father rode motorcycles and owned many cars. He enjoys tree climbing and running , considering he is very fast and nimble. He and Mac were friends when they were younger, and lived in the same village. They also escaped together when it was raided, and ended up with Jade, who was caring for David.

Mac – Male; 16

This stealthy individual has a deep shade of maroon for his hair, due to a slight mix up in the bathroom ‘potions’. His eyes are glazed black, which adds to his dark, night-like personality. He used to live at the mountain house, and was friends with Jade, until he was offered power by the mysterious Chae (pronounced Chay), and betrayed them. However, 2 years later he returns having become bored serving with the enemy, and returns to his more relaxing and comfy life with Jade and the rest of the kids. Mac prefers the darker setting no-matter what, which is how he received the nickname Nokx (Nox) because of his unexplainable nocturnal nature. He claims to fight better in the shadows of the night, and instead of relying on his sight, he uses his hearing to seek out the enemy. Due to his experience in battle, amazing combat skills and technique, he makes the perfect ally, and the most terrifying enemy.

The game is like a giant competition for power. The last one standing wins, and rules the arena. Everyone can play the game, but almost no one plays by the rules. You can fight with a blade, or any sort of other weapon, and your can motives for fighting don’t matter. If you have a certain amount of followers, you can start your own force, but you must always have a deputy. More or less, it’s a fight for survival. Betrayal is rather regular, but friendships are also present. You can’t kill anyone under the age of 13, or harm them in any way, however you can hold them hostage. Under no circumstances should anyone EVER attack a pregnant woman or girl. {AN- the population is decreasing quickly, and average life spans are short, so early pregnancies are common and not necessarily frown upon.}

Settings-
Virginia Mountain House (where our Mai charters live)
Abandoned Gas Station (a common meeting place for players)
Tree Houses of Beechridge (where the beech-tree alliance members live)
6 Forks stretch (also known as 5 points, another popular meeting place, with supply stores and a bar)
The BeechTree(the mot sacred place for all the members of the beach tree alliance. It’s where all the souls of the fallen gather and speak to those who are alive.)
Crabtree Valley Mall (the old mall, which serves for an alternative hide out)
Lochmore Drive (the street where the child was shot, which s the thing that triggered the war.)
Radius (including the Reese and the jungle)(a Seder place that ruby goes when she feels sad. Charlie also visits this place once, and doesn’t know what it is.)
The Basement (where Mac was taken and tortured for information about the whereabouts of ruby.

The game isn’t a game. It’s your life, and it’s on the line. Everything’s on the line; your friends, family, anyone and anything you love – anything precious is in danger. For us, it’s a way of living, and after you’ve lost everything and can’t lose anything else – the only way to go is up.

When I was 3 months old, my mother and father put me up for adoption, and by that, I mean they dumped me in an orphanage. I stayed there for 3 years, until one night, a huge fire burnt down the whole building to a crisp. My ‘home’ was now a mere pile of ashes, that blew away with the wind. I was badly burned, even after being protected by the older children, so i was shipped off to a hospital. There was one horrible problem though, they didn’t know my name. All the files had been destroyed in the fire, so eventually I was forgotten. I sat all alone in my plain room, in that dreadful hospital, for 4 years, and no one came for me. No friends, family, foster moms, no one knew of my existence. After 3 more years of rotting in that hospital, locked away from the world – I left. I just walked out of the front double doors, and started down the sidewalk. I had never even considered what was going to happen to me. All I knew, was that I wanted to die after I had seen the outside world.

I became friends with a girl, Hope (ironically), a prostitute, who worked at the corner near the park that I now slept in. We talked to each-other, and we understood one-another. We became — in a sense — inseparable. Of course, her coworkers were concerned for her being so ‘distracted’, seeing that money was so hard to come by these days. Then one day, she wasn’t at the corner like she usually was. The next day she was missing again. On the third day of her absence, I went to the apartment building that she shared with her co-workers.

I discovered that Hope had fallen ill, so ill, that she was unable to work. Since she couldn’t work, she couldn’t like in the house, and so when I left, they made her go along with me. I tried my best to care for her, but she became more weak and fragile with every moment. She would always smile, and show her teeth, saying “I’m fine, nothing to worry about”, when we both knew she didn’t have much time left. She kept pushing and pushing, and was so brave through it all, until one day, she could no longer pretend to be strong. She died crying, apologizing about how much trouble she had been, and how she wasn’t worth all the fuss. She took my hand and told me to never give up, and keep going. To learn from every mistake, and that my life was a blessing. She then asked one last favor, for me to stay with her until she passed, and hum her favorite song. I did what she asked.

I went to the bank and withdrew the money that she had earned. She said she was saving it to use to go back to school, but insisted that if anything happened, what was hers was mine. I figure that Hope would have wanted me to have it. I can just picture her scolding me if I ever tried to give up on anything: “You can’t just sit there! c’mon, keep walking, don’t give up!” And let me tell you that’s exactly what I did. I walked all the way to the Virginia mountains, until I found what I thought was a deserted house, all alone, on a green and golden field, halfway up a hillside.

Turns out, it was full of kids, like a mini colony, but in one house, and no-one was over the age of 20. Only a few were actually blood related, but they all called each other brother and sister. The 3 oldest ones in charge were Charlie, a 15-year-old boy, Ruby (or Jade, she is referred to by both) a girl who was also 15, and David, a boy, only 13 years old. Most were between the ages of 8 and 12, but some were younger.

They told me about their way of life…’a game’, if you will, that they played. They said they needed more players to win the game, and that I was their missing piece they had been searching for.

One day, Ruby came back to the house with a boy; Mat. He was bleeding, and bruised all over. Even though I couldn’t see them all, I could tell there were more by the way he “walked” through the hall and up the stairs. After Charlie and Ruby took him upstairs, and locked him in a small room, I didn’t see him for days. Finally they brought me upstairs to see him. They asked questions, but he didn’t reply with a straight answer. He did start to talk thought, eventually, and i actually started to think to myself… why don’t I give this “game” a try?

Summary – While going to fetch a snack for Haku, Samantha stumbles upon another keepers’ car where his protector appears to be snoozing. Paece however, denied he had, would and will never do such a thing. Samantha and him have a short quarrel and as Hoth “comes to” she continues on, but with a different task then she meant to accomplish before.

—-

“Princess, permission to speak.” I began without blinking, as my masters eyes met mine.”

Permission granted.” Her voice was as cold and hard as a smooth blue stone, worn down from years spent in chilled running water.

“You have not replenished your appetite since earlier in the day, are you craving a meal?” I straightened my posture, preparing to rise from the trains luxurious velvet seat cushion.

“Yes, that sounds appealing…” She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly, as if inspecting a possible defect. “Please go in search of a meal. I am in no need of any particular cuisine.” She added the last comment on quickly, before I had a chance to ask if she wished for any certain dish.

I gracefully rose from the comfortable fabric, and bowed my head; the sun irritating my left eye from through the window’s glass and the thick morning fog.

“As you command, princess.”

With the slightest flick of her foot, I was dismissed to embark on my search. I slowly moved out the car, and closed the door, carefully – as not to disturb the princess. I made my way through the narrow passage, catching glimpses of the many passengers.

Based on what small glances I got, I could infer many things, depending on what they were wearing, who they were with, who they were talking to, or what they were doing. This was my specialty, analyzing people from the smallest bits of information. Having been a former assassin in the CORPS, skills similar to these were not only expected of you, but essential.

As I continued walking towards the dinning car, i caught a glimpse of a boy, about the age of 14, maybe 15, snoozing in on one of the benches inside of a car. It was the boy from earlier, the one in the fine gown fit for a prince. I smirked inwardly; who would be so foolish as to let this vulnerable creature roam about on his own, if he was as high-class as he appeared to be, he should have a protector or guardian of some sort. As the door was slightly open, I stepped into the cabin, shifted my gaze, and turning my head slightly, I realized there on the left bench inside of the cozy cabin sat another boy, about the same age, with the strangest hair color. His milky violet hair drooped over his right eye, covering it slightly and then suddenly traveling back up to his ear.

He sat hunched over, completely still, taking long, deep breaths. It disgusted me. How could HE, a protector, carelessly fall into a slumber while his master slept. It was against everything protectors lived for, the code, and not only did it cause dangers for the master, but it was unbelievably rude and disrespectful.

“Che. Dozing off while you master sleeps… you’re a disgrace to all protectors.”

Suddenly, he gave off a pearl white aura, blinding my vision momentarily. When I could see clearly again, I noticed the boy had still not moved. As I turned to step out of the cabin, I felt the dark aura rise again, slower this time. Ignoring it, I reached for the fold handle of the sliding door, when a dark voice emerged from the boys throat.

“Who said I was sleeping…” The comment, accompanied by the tone and the increasing aura, could be considered a threat. I shooed the thought to the back of my worries list. If anything, he just felt hostile because of the earlier comment I had spat at him (not aware of his consciences, I allowed myself to get carried away).

“Please forgive me for intruding in you privacy, I will be leaving you to your business now.: I considered bowing out of habit, but went again it, however, it didn’t matter.

“Oh please, don’t consider yourself excused, have a seat.” He smiled wickedly and patted the empty cushion next to him. I did not move, and instead met his eyes, and continued insisting on the own intentions.

“No, it’s quite alright…Iapolagize for my earlier inappropriate actions, I was not aware you were present at mind.” I paused. “Of course, do not assume that means I would go so far to insult a fellow protector.”As I finished, his intimidating expression disappeared, and was replaced with a curious gaze.

“Are you a protector?” He asked leaving towards me. I only nodded in reply. I wasn’t much one for talking.

“Wow! the only other protectorsI’ve met live in my country.”

“And which country might that be?

“Oh, it’s in the southern part of Anglevon.” He motioned with his hands showing the outline and the capital, then pointed to where his town must have been.

“I see you have traveled far as well. Are you involved in a mission of some sorts?” I asked, beginning to forget my original destination of the trip.

“Yeah, kinda…” His eyes fell to the floor, as if he was inwardly deciding if he should tell me the details. I however, intruded his thoughts.

“If you do not wish it, you do not have to inform me of your current task.” He eagerly looked up, relieved that I read his mind.

“Thanks.” He said exhaling.

“I..” pausing suddenly and bit my lip, and then continued. “Why do you talk so familiarly to a stranger?” I said, my eyes dwelling in frustration of being confused.

“What?…” He said, puzzled eyes meeting mine. “Oh…” his expression softened, and he turned to the slumbering boy who was fast asleep. “Hoth keep asking me to address him less formally. It’s jard to, after having grown up being told not to by everyone else…but after much thinking, i decided to go with my instinct and try it. It actually feels pretty…well, like, I’ve gotten to know him better.”

I squinted my eyes, while searching in my head for the definition for ‘instinct’. I know i had heard of it, but i could not seem to recall it’s meaning. deciding to take yet another chance and ask another question.

“wha…what’s instinct?” I muttered quietly, frowning slightly, while still trying to remember the meaning the word held.

“Oh, sorry. Instinct is something that people have, although I don’t think I have it, or at least, the same kind that Hoth has told me about. It’s something that acts like a voice inside your head, it helps you decide what to do, by sort of, ‘talking’ to you.” He turned once again to the sleeping boy, who’s name I supposed was Hoth that he had spoken of. “Hoth says it helps you do not the logical thing – but the thing that seems best for everyone you, and everyone you care about. I don’t really understand the difference, but since Hoth told me, I believe him.”

I noticed the feeling in his eyes, and how his aura was slowly changing. An uneasy feeling began to surface in the pit of my stomach.

“You really know your master that well?” I said not believing my own feelings appearing amongst my soupy red aura. Spares or electric blue signified jealousy of this young adolescent boy. I cared for my master with the same intensity, but our relationship was not as tight as close-knit as theirs was.

“Yes. I care for him more than anyone else.” The time for the confession I had predicting drew nearer and nearer and i began to pale, knowing what was coming next,. the boy turned toward me with tears in his eyes, and said what had been made obvious. “I love him.”

Not being able to bear to have to come up with a reply, I disappeared, and ran through what must have been a dozen cars. Out of breath, i sat down in one of the empty cabins, so shaken, not bothering to even close the door behind me. He…loved him? love for protectors was forbidden, along with keepers, love between a ‘regular’ and a one of the two was taboo by itself, but a protector and a keep…together? both boys? it didn’t bother me to a reasonable annoyance, but others would find it as an excuse to murder. The pain that boy must bear…that burden he must carry and ignore, while holding his head high, pretending all the time…hiding behind a mask. I wanted to pity him, but I know that would be disrespectful. He was strong. He was brave. To hide his love away, and protect him regardless, was an amazing ability, and I respected him, with all my honor. But still…the thought let alone of love between a protector and a person was strictly forbidden – the consequences gruesome and terrifying. Adding the factors of a protector and a keeper, and two boys – the results can be determined by anyone.

After dueling in my freshly brewed troubles and thoughts, I slowly made my way back to the car. When I reached for the handle of my masters cabin, i hesitated. Would she be angry that i had returned empty-handed? as I gripped the handle I knew I would soon find out.

“You took your time…” She frowned as I failed to reply instantly. Her tone softened as well as her expression. “Are you troubled?” I looked up suddenly, fearing she would be displeased with my weak state, but instead, she seemed… concerned.

“Yes…I…I am actually…” I started. “Um…Your highness…would you allow me the honor of sitting at your side?” Althought I did not ‘blurt’ the sentence out, it was more rushed than others.

“Oh…you may.” She nodded and scooted over to allow me more room. Amazed, I sat down carefully, trying not to be a disturbance. Failing to meet her eyes, I began again.

“May I also…call you by your…given name?” I held my breath waiting for an answer. My master finally replied, a bit quieter than before.

“Yes…you may.” I couldn’t believe it…I had the honor of calling her highness by her true name? My friends would never believe this.

“Then…h…Haku…” I smiled. Her name was so smooth, it almost rolled off my tongue like honey. “May I be so bold as to ask another question?” Becoming more confident by the minute.

“Please continue, I’ve become intrigued.” She mused over my sudden change in behavior.

“Love for both keepers and protectors is forbidden, am I mistaken?” Suddenly unsure of her impression, i continued to look down at the floor.

“Why, do you have feelings for someone?” She asked boldly. Not trying to avoid her sudden question, I looked up and answered quickly.

“No such thing, it had just escaped my memory.” I waited once again for an answer.

“Yes, you are correct, for keepers and protectors, loving another is strictly off-limits.” She paused for a moment, then opened her mouth again, “What brought on this question, it’s rather rather sudden.” She said this almost with a suspicion that I wasn’t telling her something.

“No, nothing really.” I replied with little emotion. On the inside however, I felt sorrow for the two boys I had encountered earlier – I wished the best for them. I was interrupted from my thoughts when my master spoke.

“Samantha?…” She said shyly, avoiding my eyes.

“Princess?”

“From now on, address me as you have just now…” silence followed, as she waited for my reaction.

“Of course…Haku.” For the first time in years, I smiled, with actual happiness behind it.

It will probably go somehow like this:
-I begin writing some story in my notebook
-I finish a day later, and then type it up that day or the day after that, and post it here on wordpress.
-I will wait for comments, and while you both are ‘editing’ I will be busy typing a different story.
-When I check back, hopefully there will be suggestions within the comments. (HINT-HINT)
-I will then post the new story that I have just completed, and then check the comments made about the previous one.
-using the comments, I can go back again and re-edit the story. When I’m finished, I will post it as draft 2: (ex; Forever Forgotten — A Stormy Night [Draft 1], becomes; Forever Forgotten — A Stormy Night [Draft 2].)
Please keep in mind that I will type up things exactly as they are written in my notebooks, which have NOT been proofread. There probably are many mistakes, and things that need improvement, which will receive attention in the next draft.
Also, I would like to ask the two people that i have asked to edit these sections to not reveal their identities to the other, (if that makes sense). I just don’t want there to be anything between anyone that could interfere with the task of editing…that didn’t really get the point I was trying to get across…maybe I should just give up writing and become an inventor…TT___TT SIGH anyway, I feel like you both can really help me improve, and I want (AND NEED) that improvement. If there are any other people…out there…reading this…i would really appreciate it if you would just leave a comment saying that you’ve read it. it doesn’t have to be a sentence even, you could just put a number between 1 and 10, or just write hate/love or something in-between.

the two people who I am primarily writing to, congrats, the site is finally up and running. I know you guys won’t have all the time in the world to just sit around and edit these stories, but try to get on once and a while and give me some advice. I’ll probably eventually have different blogs for each different story, and you can check everyone of them — except; “things unessential to your survival.” You can reply any way you want to except for email. I can send the document in doubled spaced format to your facebook, so that you can text in different colored texts to edit if. You don’t have to go through and edit it completely, you can comment with a short response, like things to change, something that you like/don’t like, or thoughts about the characters, plot, setting, general idea, ect. Thanks so much for all the support and inspiration to person 1 (you know who you are) and to person 2, i can’t wait to see your amazing editing (CROP QV-ing) skills. Thanks again!